Page 159 of Downforce

“Max?” Travis answers after a couple of rings.

“Something’s happened to Annalise.”

CHAPTER 42

Annalise

I grimace at my phone when Max’s number pops up on the screen.

“Hey,” I answer, before immediately launching into my explanation of where I went and why. I went into a small panic when I saw that my work phone and tablet weren’t in my room.

What if someone gets into the proprietary information I have on my devices?

What if they get broken?

What if Bree calls again and I can’t answer her question because I don’t have my files?

All of the what-ifs started to spiral, and while I could’ve brushed them off as best as possible by reminding myself that I could just retrieve my belongings tomorrow, it didn’t sit right with me. Besides, the hotel where we’re staying is really close to the track. No more than a five-minute drive.

I want to tell Max all of this, so he understands my line of thinking, but as I enter the Amato pit area, a light in the garage space catches my attention. I’ve already explained to the nighttime security guard who I am, flashed my security tag at him, and told him what I needed to get. He waved me in with no problem.

Now, though, the light on in the garage piques my curiosity.

Unable to look away, I head toward the light, thinking maybe I’ll find Drake Horner or a few engineers going over some final details for tomorrow’s race.

I stop short when I see someone completely unexpected hovering over the cockpit of Severino Ferreira’s old Formula 1 car. The same car Max is scheduled to drive tomorrow.

“What are you doing here?” I blurt out, startling the woman so much that she stumbles back away from the car a few inches. The flashlight in her hand comes up, temporarily blinding me.

Before I can ask Max’s mother what the hell she is doing, a presence moves behind me, snatching the phone out of my hand.

I spin in time to watch Edwin throwing my phone to the ground and then stomping on it.

Outraged, my first instinct is to lunge at him, but he holds up his right hand that wields a knife. A very sharp, long-bladed knife.

“What the hell is this?” I ask, looking between Edwin and Max’s mother.

Mrs. Severino’s ice blue eyes glitter with malice. “You shouldn’t be here,” she hisses, as if that answers my question.

“Neither should you.” I peer over my shoulder, not trusting Edwin with that knife while he’s still behind me.

I take a step to the side and back so that he’s no longer behind me but to my side. From this angle, I can see both of them without having to turn my head back and forth. One look over Mrs. Severino’s shoulder and I see there’s some sort of wire hanging over the side of the car Max is supposed to drive tomorrow.

“Were you messing with Max’s car?”

A disgusting, wretched laugh that only some sort of wicked witch in a Disney movie could make spills out of her mouth.

“Max’s car?” She says his name in such a berating manner. “Max wishes he could handle this car! Do you know my Severino won a championship in this car? He is the only one worthy of sitting in it. Not Max.”

I blink in horror, taken aback by the forcefulness in her voice.

“He’s your son.”

“Ha!” she scoffs. “I never wanted him. I never wanted kids.” She waves her hands around wildly as she says this. That’s when I notice not only does she hold a flashlight but also a pair of scissors in her other hand.

My stomach rebels as a wave of nausea rolls through my body at what her possible intentions could be.

“Severino wanted a son. So fine,” she spits out, “I had the brat for him. But that wasn’t enough. He had the nerve to come to me when Max was five and say we should give him a sibling. A brother or sister.”